No Way Out
by SarahSmiles222
Summary: What is it about Damon that Elena just can't shake? Her stormy relationship with Stefan was fast coming to a close and Damon was always there to pick up the pieces. But why? Was Damon really the monster that he portrayed or was there a deeper meaning behind his hardened exterior? This is a slow burn that takes place following 'Bloodlines'. On hold right now, exploring Klaroline.
1. Chapter 1 - No Where To Go

**Chapter 1**

The miles were passing so slowly on the dark country road to Georgia. I started to recognize that Stefan was not the right person for me weeks ago, his tendency to lose control and moodiness is exhausting sometimes. Still, I care for him. In my heart, he is my first true love, but I am not sure that I believe true loves are permanent loves. I believe that once you love someone you can never go back to not loving them, whether that translates as hate or love. The depth of the emotion is still one of caring.

Then there's Damon, so dark and haunted by his past. How do I go down this road though? It's so wrong to feel this way. He makes me feel so alive, like every cell in my body is on fire and tingling with life. It's a pure adrenaline rush whenever I see him. I've never had someone in my life that is able to incite such heightened feelings of anger and attraction. It is infuriating. Then I look in his eyes and the whole world melts away. Thankfully I am good at hiding how he makes me feel.

As I pulled into the tiny gas station, my thoughts drifted towards those crystal blue eyes of his. I got lost for a second thinking about how beautiful they are. The sound of my phone ringing jilted me out of my dreamland. I glanced down. Speak of the devil.

"Well hello Elena", he drawled out in his typical dripping with sarcasm tone.

"What do you want Damon?" I blurted out. "I told you that I need space."

"Calm down Elena. Aren't you on fire? You must have been thinking about me..." he laughed at himself. Ugggh he was so annoying. I rolled my eyes. "I just thought you'd want to know, my brother is off on one of his tangents again...something about being unhappy that you are unhappy that you resemble his Katherine."

_His Katherine?_ He really didn't miss an opportunity. "Damon. I don't really care how unhappy Stefan is, but you shouldn't let him hurt anyone."

"Where are you?" he changed the subject suddenly.

For whatever reason, I blurted out, "I'm on my way back to Georgia. I just need a time out."

"Ah so you are going to back to the scene of our first date. How very interesting."

"It was NOT a date Damon and I happen to like Georgia." I stated so matter of factly that I almost believed it.

"Let's meet for a drink. I need to talk to you." His tone was different. He wasn't being sarcastic or funny or even flirty.

"Okay, but nothing funny Damon. I mean it. I'm on Route 74 near Macon, Georgia."

"I'll meet you at Charlie's bar on Main Street." He hung up without saying goodbye. I got back in my car and turned around. As I headed back towards Macon, my thoughts drifted towards _Stefan's Katherine_. Why 'did' I look so much like her? There's no way that I could be related to her, my parents were from a very documented family in Mystical Falls. So why? I know that Damon loved her first and there was some kind of tension between the brothers over her. It was somewhat chilling to see a picture that so closely resembled me that was so old. It was surreal.

I pulled the car over into a parking space. I did not bother to parallel park as it was the middle of the afternoon and no one seemed to be around for miles. The little bar had a make-shift hand painted sign over it. It looked run down and very deserted, much like the street outside it. I pushed open the rickety door and stepped inside to a fairly dark musty interior. My eyes were drawn to a wooden bar with tacky glass globe lights strung from the ceiling. I approached the bar tentatively, while it didn't exactly look 'unsafe' in the bar, it did have a certain seedy feeling to it. The bar tender, an elderly man with a huge forehead and white tufts of hair on each side, approached me. "Elena?" he questioned.

Okay. It was a little startling that he knew my name. "Yes?" I questioned.

"Damon is on his way. He said to tell you to sit tight. What can I get you?" He said pleasantly.

"I'll just have a diet coke, thank you." The minutes turned into hours as I sat there, shifting around in my seat. Finally the door flew open and I recognized the figure in the doorway immediately as Damon. He flashed a brilliant smile and even in the dark I could see those beautiful blue eyes looking me up and down at the bar.

"Where have you been?" I stammered. "Damon I don't appreciate being left in the middle of a deserted bar for hours while you are off doing whatever it is you do."

"Doing whatever it is that I do? Now Elena, we both know what I do, don't we?" He stared down at me. I was torn between irritation and attraction yet again. He pressed me against the bar. I was trapped between two bar stools and him. "That aside, I need to tell you something." He paused thoughtfully as he stared down at me. He was so painfully close that I could feel myself getting extremely overheated.

Meekly I looked up and forced myself to speak. "Okay, just let me out and we can talk."

He stepped aside. His face was intense with thought. His chiseled square jaw line set sternly on his face. He plopped down on the bar stool, looked at the bartender and ordered a drink. "Elena. I know that you know about Katherine now, but there are other things about this situation that you need to understand. I can't tell you how I know these things, but you are going to have to trust me." He paused again, this time turning to look me in the eye. "Whether you believe it or not, I do not want you to get hurt. Katherine is not dead. I know for a fact she was freed from the church before it was burnt. For years I have been tracking her and trying to find her. She gets close to Stefan and then runs again. She's a virtual master at disappearing. She wants Stefan dead because he ran from her. She will kill anyone that gets close to him and she will do anything to make sure that he only wants her. It is a sick obsession. Sometimes, when Vampires are made, they form an unnatural bond called a Sire bond, and sometimes one or both partners will have an unhealthy attachment to the other. I have spent years following Stefan to make sure he is safe. Given Stefan's diet, he is not able to defend himself against a vampire as old as Katherine. I probably wouldn't have a chance either but I am definitely more prepared than he is. Every person I have killed has been connected in some way to Katherine. I know it doesn't look that way. I know that it looks like I am a heartless killer. Honestly that is easier for Stefan to accept."

My head was spinning. What was he saying to me? Was he saying that underneath all his bravado and sarcasm lay a man that was not only capable of love but had spent decades protecting his brother? Part of me wanted to believe him but I knew him. He has this way of spinning things so that it seems very different from reality.

He continued. "Elena. Katherine is going to come after you. She has already sent people to kill you. She caught up with Stefan in the past year before he met you, while he was 'watching' you. I usually stay in the shadows so that Stefan feels independent, however, this time..." his voice trailed off"...I didn't want you to die."

"Why?!" I almost shouted.

He took a long, slow drink from his glass, put his hands on the bar, pushed himself from his seat, turned to look at me and said, "because what I want, more than anything in this world is to be with you, but it's complicated."

The mere shock of what he said washed over me. My arms fell back on the bar. Wait. What just happened? I had this sinking feeling that that moment was the moment. It was on the table and there was no way out.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Fire

**Chapter 2 - The Fire**

I stared blankly into space as I was processing everything that Damon was telling me.

"Elena, there's more." He got quiet for a moment. "I don't know how to tell you this, but I have to. I need you to understand how serious this is." He paused again.

"Oh my God Damon, just tell me!" I practically shouted at him.

"Okay. Before I do, I need you to understand that there was nothing I could do at the time. I had no idea. Had i...had I understood or had I known that it would cause you so much pain, I would have done everything in my power to stop it." He stammered and paused for what seemed like an eternity. "Katherine killed your parents. She was there that day at the Wickery Bridge. She forced the car off the road. She knew that Stefan was watching you. Unfortunately, he did not know that Katherine was watching him as he watched you." His voice trailed off. He sat there motionless, waiting for a response from me.

I was frozen. I was incapable of saying anything. The tears started to well up in my eyes. I could feel the tightness in my chest. I felt like I was being strangled from the inside out. I couldn't breathe. I started forcing the air out of my chest. The tears sprang forward from my eyes. There was so much emotion. Too much. I couldn't take it anymore. I lunged forward with so much power that I surprised myself. I started towards the door.

"Elena," he called after me. "Elena stop." I couldn't though. I had to get out of here. I heard him behind me and then suddenly I crashed into his chest.

He had a hold of my arms. He was staring down at me. "Elena, I need you to stop. I need you to listen." Then as if completely exasperated, he bent forward and kissed me. I was in a state of shock.

"What are you doing?!" I screamed at him. "What are you telling me? Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because Elena...I love you. You can't tell me that you haven't felt it. That something inside you has always told you that. I know you know. I know you feel something. I can't protect you when you are away from me. I can't protect you when you take off like that. Whether you love me or not, you need to let me protect you. Katherine is cold and calculating. She has already killed your parents. She will kill again and she will kill you if she can." My eyes were blurred with tears as I looked at him. I was trying to concentrate on what he was saying. I was trying, it wasn't working. My parents were dead because of someone who looked exactly like me, someone that was trying to kill me. And..._Damon loved me? _

My head felt woozy and I sank a little in my knees. He had a grip on my arms still and held me up. He walked me backwards to a chair. I sank down in the chair when I felt it against the back of my knees. I was exhausted. In a matter of minutes, my entire reality changed...again.

He squatted down until his gaze was completely even with mine. "Elena. Are you okay? I need to know you understand me."

"Yes" I squeaked out. I started to refocus on my surroundings. "I understand I think. So what now? I can never go anywhere alone again? I can't live that way Damon. I can't just shut myself in a house and wait for the inevitable to happen. What about Jeremy? What about Jenna?"

"I need you to come with me and I need you to trust me. I know that is difficult given what you think about me, but I need you to." His face was serious and had an air of concern about it. He looked as if he was weighing whether he'd have to carry me out against my will.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Back to your house. It's the only place you are safe. Jenna and Jeremy are at the lake house. I _influenced_ them to go."

As we walked out of the bar, I looked at Carolyn's car that I had borrowed. "What about Carolyn's car?" I asked. "I can't just leave it here."

He glanced at me and did half an eye roll as he said, "I'll have Blondie's car towed back to Mystic Falls". He was holding my left arm and walking quickly towards his blue mustang.

"That's over an hour away!"

"It's fine Elena." He said as he opened the car door and made a motion for me to get inside. "I promise, I will arrange to have Blondie's car safely returned to Mystic Falls if you would please get in the car Elena."

"Fine!" I rolled my eyes at him as I got in the car. True to his word, as soon as we were on our way back to Mystic Falls, he was on the phone with a tow service and paid a considerable sum to have Carolyn's car towed back to Mystic Falls.

I stared blankly out the window. There was so much that shouldn't be said right now. There was so much I didn't know how to say, especially given what I just found out. It seemed like such a long time until we passed by the wooden sign preceding the Wickery Bridge. The surroundings were becoming increasingly familiar, except, overhead there was a huge cloud of dark thick smoke over the town. I looked at Damon, he shrugged at me, but I could tell he was concerned.

We turned down my street and there were two fire engines and several cop cars blocking the street. Before I even thought, I opened the car door and stepped out of the car towards the road block. There was no doubt about it, that cloud of dark thick smoke was coming from my house. My house! I felt sick. As I walked towards the front lawn, a police officer grabbed at my arm. "miss you can't go in there."

"It's my house," I said it almost in a whisper. There it was, burnt to the ground. I could see remnants of the curtains and walls, but it most definitely was not my childhood home. I almost panicked when I remembered Jeremy and Jenna, but then I remembered that Damon had told them to leave.

Damon was beside me when I looked to my left. He put his arm around me, bent down and whispered one thing. "Katherine." I sank into the crook of his arm. I didn't know what else to do. He leaned down and swooped me up in his arms. As I lay against his chest as he walked away from the scene, I felt lost, but for once, not alone. I felt as if he was going to protect me and I felt as if I really knew that. It wasn't just a feeling.

When I woke up several hours later, I was in a dark room. It was big, I could feel the space, even in the dark. I jerked myself up into a sitting position and strained to see in the dark. I felt around the bed. It was huge and then I felt his leg. "Elena, I'm here." It was Damon. He was laying down beside me at a respectful distance.

"Damon, what are we going to do?" I asked with every sense of desperation that I was feeling inside.

"First let me tell you that I had Jeremy and Jenna moved somewhere safe. I want you to know that. The lake house will be burned as well if we try to go there. A friend is watching out for them. A much stronger friend than Katherine. Now I need some time to figure out what to do next. This house is owned by a human, Katherine cannot get in here. We are going to stay here until I figure out how to deal with her, which admittedly might take me awhile. Katherine is not an easy problem to solve."

I listened to him intently, realizing afterwards that the other question on my mind was 'what are we going to do about us?' and that it was going to remain unanswered for the time being due to more pressing matters. Still I wanted to feel close to him, I rolled over and rested my head on his arm. I wanted him to hold me, but he lay there motionless in the dark contemplating the current situation. I could feel the heat surging through my skin and I wondered if he could feel the same. As I closed my eyes, I could feel myself drifting off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Problem

**Chapter 3 - The Problem**

My eyes flickered open. I realized that I was in Damon's room on his massive bed still. My muscles ached from lying down for so long. I raised my head up to look around the room. He was standing, shirtless, near the large window staring out into the gardens. I sucked in my breath deeply at the sight of him.

"Good morning Elena." He said without even glancing at me. "There's coffee in the kitchen. There's a television in the family room. You might as well make yourself comfortable."

"Damon, we have to talk." The words poured from my lips before I could think it through.

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Damon, you said you loved me. I need to know what that means. I need to understand this." I kept my voice even although inside I was so nervous I wanted to curl up in a ball.

He turned and looked at me. "Elena, this isn't the time."

"Then when Damon? " Suddenly he was in front of me, looking down at me. It seemed like he was towering over me, even though he was only a few inches taller than me. His piercing blue eyes penetrated my skin. He leaned down simultaneously crashing his lips into mine. His hand immediately moved towards the small of my back and pulled me towards him with such force that I could not resist and a gasp left my lips as I was drawn into his kiss even further. As he pulled his head back, I stood there somewhere between shock and passion and realized that I truly did not want it to end. I clutched his arm and tried to hold him in place, an impossible feat given his undead status.

He released me suddenly and stared down at me. "Elena there are things about me that you can never understand. My proclivities are not..." he paused thoughtfully "...normal."

I didn't care! I wanted to feel his passion. All the love and hate that had been streaming through me since he came to Mystic Falls needed release. I stood up on my tip toes and kissed him with all the force I could muster in my body. His eyes, started to change, and for a second I felt the thrill of fear and traced my tongue along his lips. I ran my hands down his arms feeling his smooth skin beneath my fingertips.

He slammed me against the panel wall in his bedroom and held me there with one hand. He moved his hand to my throat, but didn't squeeze. He just held me there for a few seconds staring at me with those crystal blue eyes as if he was weighing the consequences of going further. His other hand moved to my face, tenderly caressing my cheek before it moved down to the top of my t-shirt and ripped it off. The next few seconds seemed like a blur as clothes were flying. He still had me against the wall with my hands against the wall over my head, a small groan escaped his throat as he was holding me there and pressing against me with his entire body. I felt faint. I could feel his hardness against my thigh through his jeans. I wanted to touch him, but he just kept me in place against the wall locked in a deep kiss. His tongue made its way in and out of my lips. I was moaning uncontrollably. I just couldn't get enough. I wanted him to ravish me right there. Damn the consequences! No sooner did he release one of my hands, then the other hand grasped both wrists and held me in place. He traced his free hand down my entire body, pausing at my left breast where he squeezed softly and started caressing, then moved down and grasped the waist of my jeans before ripping them in one movement from my body. I ground my lower body against him and wrapped my leg around his hips. It was difficult to move. I felt the electricity surging through the center of my body and up through my cheeks. I was gasping for air.

Suddenly he pulled back and stared at me silently leaving me there exposed and half naked. He released my hands from the wall and stood there for what seemed like forever, his eyes locked in mine. I breathed out and it broke the silence. "Elena. I can't."

I was infuriated. I felt the heat rising to my cheek. I looked down at my clothes in shreds. "Damon, you just did."

A crooked smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You do look...tasty." He raised his eyebrows as he scanned my body with his eyes. I wanted to die from the humiliation I felt inside both from his rejection and the inspection of his eyes. "But there are things about my...life...that you just wouldn't understand. Things that I do not have time to explain to you right now. You need to get dressed. There are some clothes in that dresser." he motioned with his head towards a dresser in the corner of the room. With that, he turned and walked out of the room. "I'm going to go get you some food. I'm sure you are hungry."

I stood there for a few moments just blankly staring at the door before I mindlessly went to the dresser and searched for some clothes. I found some leggings and a cute grey Urban Outfitters t-shirt which I pulled on silently. The thoughts started to flood my mind about the scene that just took place. It was so intense and rough. Why did he stop? And what proclivities? What could possibly be worse than draining people and drinking from them? I paused. Maybe I didn't want to know the answer to that question.

I wandered through the Boarding House walking towards the noise in the kitchen. The kitchen was bright and large. It was impressively stocked with appliances and a gourmet stove with a wall of windows looking out on the garden. The sun made me smile. Damon was standing with his back to me, cooking something. He turned and pushed a cup towards me without a word and went back to cooking whatever it was that he was cooking. I grabbed the cup, coffee I thought as I swallowed the clear dark liquid. I walked towards the table and sat silently looking out at the beautiful gardens that spread across the massive property. Something moved. At first I thought it was a bird. I was confused for a second. Then my eyes focused on something in the tree line. It was...Me! I gasped.

"What?" Damon was at my side in an instant. I was shaking uncontrollably as I raised a single finger and pointed towards the tree line. He caught the figure in the distance. "Stay here!" he said with an unwavering authority. Not a problem, I was frozen to the chair anyway. Seeing the picture of Katherine didn't prepare me for what I was witnessing right now. It was like looking in a mirror. I heard the door close somewhere in the back of my mind as I continued to lock eyes with Katherine. Then as soon as she was there, she was gone. I saw Damon stop at the tree line and look back at the house as if to make sure I was still sitting in the window. Then he was back at my side before I could blink.

"Stay here no matter what happens." he said before disappearing as fast as he came.

I glanced at the clock. It's been three hours since Damon left me sitting in the kitchen. I got up and paced the length of the living room staring out into the gardens, then to the fireplace, then back to the gardens. I sank down into the couch and just stared blankly at the clock. The time didn't even register in my brain.

I jerked my eyes open to find Damon leaning down looking at me. His blue eyes searching mine. "Hello Elenaa."

"Damon. Where have you been? I was worried. You've been gone for..." I glanced at the clock "...five hours!" He didn't even look at me. He looked angry and frustrated. His brow was furrowed and he was just staring down at some blood on his hands.

"Katherine got away." His tone was harsh and with that he walked out of the room. I sat there and watched him speechless.


	4. Chapter 4 - The Burn

Chapter 4 – The Burn

I was sitting on the couch staring blankly at the fireplace, watching the orange flames dance back and forth. I was lost in the fire when Damon handed me a glass of whiskey. I glanced up. I reached out, took the glass and immediately put the crystal cut glass to my lips and sipped the strong liquid. He stood beside me looking down at me studying my face. "Stand up Elena." I didn't even hesitate as I rocked forward off the couch into a standing position. I stood up and stared straight into his eyes, which at the moment looked even bluer than normal. _Uh oh, I thought, this is a problem_.

I looked away before I got swept away in the moment. "No." he said. He moved his hand to my chin and lifted it until I was staring into his beautiful eyes again. "Close your eyes." I did so immediately. I immediately thought about the vervain in my necklace. _Okay, he's not compelling me._ While I was lost in my thoughts, I felt his soft lips on mine, his hand snuck around to the small of my back and pulled me slightly towards him. His tongue darted into my mouth and searched out mine. Our tongues were entangled in the deepest kiss I've ever felt. It was all going to my head and then pulled me tighter to him so that my body was completely meshed with his. Then he released me. "Get on your knees Elena."

I was confused for a moment. I opened my eyes and looked at him. "Why?"

"Elena, I'm not going to hurt you. There's no reason to fear me. Get on your knees. It's a very simple request." He said it so steadily that there was just something reassuring in his silky voice.

I tentatively started to lower myself to my knees. My movement was somewhat clunky as I was between the couch and the coffee table. I knelt there kind of confused, kind of scared and kind of aroused. I felt really vulnerable as I looked up at him. "Okay?" I questioned as I looked at him.

"Shut your eyes." I complied. "I don't want you to open your eyes under any circumstances. Do you understand Elena?"

"Umm yes?" I said shakily. It was more of a question than an answer.

I heard him walk away but I didn't look. I felt his hands come from behind me. He was caressing my arms. He traced his fingers back up my upper arms to my neck. My head fell forward as I felt his hand underneath my hair on my neck. He didn't do anything. He just ran his fingers through my long hair. He reached up and grabbed my hair, not hard, just enough to pull my head to the side. He kissed the nape of my neck. Shivers ran down the entire length of my spine. His tongue started to caress my skin in between long lingering kisses. My knees felt weak. I started to lean back into him. "Uh uh Elena. Stay up on your knees for me. Don't move." I strained a little to get back up. My thighs were aching and my knees were starting to hurt from the pressure.

"Elena, what do you want?" he whispered hoarsely into my ear. "Tell me."

"I don't know what you mean." I stammered.

"Tell me what you want. You know what I mean Elena."

The words were lost in my head. I couldn't put a complete thought together at first. The feeling of his breath against my ear as he kept demanding I tell him was putting me in a very different place. I was shaking visibly all over. "Tell me Elena."

My head drifted to my right shoulder and my face fell down a little towards the floor, "I want you," I whispered it so low that it was barely audible.

"See Elena, I already know you want me. I know you want a lot of things. I know you dream about me making love to you. Don't you?" He was smiling, I could hear it in his voice. I nodded my head back and forth. "I'm not going to do that tonight Elena. There's plenty of time. I don't want to rush it. What I am going to do is walk around the table and stand in front of you. I want you open your eyes and look at me when I tell you and then I want you take off your clothes for me. Do you understand me Elena?"

"Yes." I could feel the warmth flooding my cheeks. I shaking even harder now. I had no idea why I was listening. I felt compelled, not by his influence but by my own desires. His hands dropped, I heard him walk around the table, which he had to be doing on purpose as vampires are extraordinarily quiet. He stopped in front of me. "Look at me Elena."

I stared up at him. I had to be visibly blushing at this point. I felt like my cheeks were on fire. He nodded at me. There was so much conveyed in that nod it was almost overwhelming. I pulled at the bottom of my grey t-shirt, fidgeting with it as I purposely wasted time.

"Elena." He said with a little more authority in his voice.

With that, I pulled it over my head. I've never felt so naked in my life. I unbuttoned my pants and tugged at the waistband until they were around thighs. I lifted one knee and pushed my jeans under it and then repeated on the other side, while I was holding onto the table. And here I am, in my underwear and bra, kneeling in front of a man that up until a week ago I at best tolerated. His eyes were smiling down at me. He reached down with his hand and gently caressed the side of my face. "You are beautiful Elena. You can get dressed now."

He turned and walked away.

What?! Did that seriously just happen? Did he seriously just humiliate me and then leave? I was furious. My embarrassment turned to rage. I lifted myself up and put my clothes back on. I stomped off after him.

He was sitting in the kitchen sipping a glass of whiskey.

"What was that?" I demanded.

"That, my dear Elena was a beautiful moment. Don't ruin it. Go put your pajamas on. We need to go to bed. We have an early day tomorrow, what with a homicidal vampire to hunt down."

I pouted and huffed as I turned on my heel and stormed out of the room sarcastically muttering to myself "…it was a beautiful moment." "Maybe to you!" I said to myself angrily. I went into Damon's room and found a pair of pajamas on the bed. I undressed and pulled the bottoms on and then the shirt. Just as I finished Damon walked in the room. He pulled his shirt off. God he was beautiful. I almost forgot why I was mad at him. Almost.

He climbed into bed and leaned over to the other side, grabbed the sheet and threw it down. He motioned to the other side of the bed. "Elena" He offered. I huffed as I got in the bed and he threw the blanked back over me. Then, unexpectedly, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me on the forehead. I immediately melted.

As the sun filled the room the next morning, my eyes flickered open. It was bright outside. I glanced to my right and saw Damon there, not exactly sleeping, but not exactly awake either. I was laying on his arm.

"Good morning Elena." He smiled with his entire face.

"Good morning Damon." I said back. I barely got my sentence out when he rolled slightly to the left and pecked me on the lips.

He pulled his up and stared into my eyes, his blue eyes searching mine deeply for something. What is he looking for I wondered.

All of the sudden there was a loud crash on the front lawn. It sounded as if a 747 crashed into the ground outside the Boarding House. Before I could even register what was going on, Damon was gone. I looked around as if expecting to adjust to his fast movement. I jumped off the bed and ran down the stairs. The door to the Boarding House was wide open.

As I walked onto the porch, Damon yelled, "Elena NO." My eyes were trying to register what was going on. There was twisted metal all over the front lawn, remnants of a car. Damon was kneeling on the ground with blood all over his face holding someone. I tried to focus on the scene. I felt like I was in a dream. Blonde hair. It was Caroline!

Determined, I stepped off the porch. "Damon how could you?" Caroline was bleeding from the neck. She was limp in his arms. Was she dead? I was enraged. How could I believe him? I walked towards them.

Again, Damon yelled, "Elena, go back to the house. This isn't what it looks like. Go back. It's a trap."

I was so focused I couldn't even form the words. I saw Caroline breathe in deeply. "Caroline!" I ran towards her. "Let her go Damon."

He stood up with an almost pleading look. "Elena. You have to listen."

"Listen? Why should I ever believe anything you say? All you have done is lie and hurt people Damon. Now you are drinking from Caroline, who, by the way, has already been a victim of yours." He looked down, Caroline was starting to come to. I grabbed her hand and pulled her away from Damon. "Caroline lets go."

Caroline stumbled to her feet, terrified and confused. She was desperately trying to figure out what happened and where she was. She kept looking around.

I pulled her towards the road. A car was approaching, very slowly. It rolled to a stop and I walked to the passenger side of the car. I leaned down and who did I see in the driver's seat? Katherine! I stood there stunned.

"Not very fast on the uptake are you Elena?" she drolled. "Get in the car. Don't try to run. You won't get away. Might as well make this easier on both of us."


	5. Chapter 5 - The Ultimatum

Chapter 5 – The Ultimatum

I backed away slowly realizing what had really happened. I just stared through the open window at her. Caroline looked scared. Before I knew what happened, Katherine was beside me. She grabbed the back of Caroline's jacket and threw her into the tree line. I screamed no as she did it, but I didn't even get the word out before it happened.

Katherine grabbed me by the arm, opened the door and pointed to the passenger seat. "You can either go quietly or I can go visit Caroline." She smiled as she looked at me, already knowing what I would choose. Rolling my eyes, I got into the car.

"Katherine, I really don't know what you hope to accomplish here. What do you want?"

"Elena, seriously I don't know what he sees in you. You are dull and naïve. It took virtually nothing to make you believe Damon was the bad guy. A little car crash and you came running. " she laughed. "What I want.." she spatted angrily as she dug her fingernails into my leg, "is for Stefan to realize what a mistake he made. Then I want to hurt him in every possible way for the rest of eternity."

Tears came to my eyes from the pain and I screamed. As much as I didn't want to, it was too much for me to keep in. Katherine smiled, realizing how much pain I was in.

We drove for hours through the countryside. There was nothing, not even a gas station for miles. There were signs for small towns but I had no idea where they were. Even if I could somehow get a message to Damon, I doubt he would even come. It's not like I have managed to give him the benefit of the doubt since I've known him. I sighed out loud.

Katherine turned down a dirt road. It was pitch black outside. There were lights in the horizon. It looked like a city. That was really the only light there was. We pulled up to a cabin, fashioned out of wood with a stone foundation. It was small and unimpressive. It was just the type of place where you could murder someone and get away with it because there was no one around for miles.

"Get out and don't try to run, because then I'll just have to kill you sooner." She said without any fluctuation in her tone.

I got out and walked towards the rickety looking door. It creaked as Katherine pushed it open. She walked in and lit a kerosene lamp on the table. The room was pretty bare, with a couch, coffee table, dining room table and two chairs. There was a stone fireplace on one wall. She walked towards the fireplace, threw some firewood in and lit the fireplace.

"Sit." She glanced back at me.

I felt like a dog. I slowly took a seat at the table. She turned around, tilting her head to one side and walked towards me. She pulled some duct tape out of a kitchen drawer and started taping my arms to the chair arms. I read a trick to escaping duct tape, however, it was if your arms are duct taped together, so that was an impossibility right now.

Katherine walked away towards a door beside the fireplace. I could barely see a light coming from the doorway when she opened it. She then disappeared and I heard her walking down steps to what must be the basement of the wood structure. I heard her laugh, then I heard a loud grunt.

Wait! Was that…Stefan? I listened again, straining to hear anything that would help me determine what was going on. I could hear him responding to whatever torture she was putting him through, then I would hear her laugh at him. This went on for about an hour and a half.

I heard her footsteps on the stairs again. I sat up alert. "Well Elena, that was fun. By the way, Stefan says hi." She smiled and tilted her head to the side. I've deduced that as her very evil, taunting look as if she knew how horrible she was going to be.

She walked over and yanked the duct tape off my arms. It didn't hurt exactly, it was just more shocking than anything. She grabbed a handful of my hair and started dragging me towards the door. When we reached the door, I kicked my leg back and grabbed her as hard as I could and shoved her forward, she went tumbling down the stairs. I screamed as she took a handful of my hair with her down the stairs. I slammed the door shut and dragged the couch in front of it. Not that it would stop her but it might slow her down. I picked up the chair and slammed it against the floor, grabbed the sharpest piece of wood I could find and ran towards the door. My feet hit the dirt outside and I frantically looked around for the most cover. I ran towards a field with planted corn. The corn was pretty high so I thought it would offer some cover. I ran for ten minutes in the direction of the city lights that I saw earlier. Then I heard it…"Elenaaaaa, you can't hide. I'm going to find you and when I do its going to be so much worse than it would have been."

I had no idea how close she was to me. I just kept running. I stopped for a second. I was breathing really heavily. Katherine would be able to hear me. I didn't hear anything though. I decided to take a moment and rest. I hoped I was still running in the right direction. It was impossible to tell as the corn was too high and all I could see was the sky above me and corn in every direction.

**Damon's POV**

"Damn it!" I had no idea where she went. I had searched every street in Mystic Falls. I'd searched every café, store, and gas station. I was walking down the highway, back towards the Boarding House and I heard a groan from the side of the road. "Elena?"

I ran towards the noise. I looked down to crumpled up body with blonde hair. "Caroline, " I whispered to myself. I picked her up and carried her back to the Boarding House.

When we returned, I laid her on the couch. She started to stir. "Whaaat happened?"

"Well blondie. You were in a car accident, caused by Katherine I would guess. Then you and Elena stupidly decided to leave. Then I found you on the side of the road. So anything you can remember would be extremely helpful right now." I stated matter-of-factly.

Her eyes came into focus. She looked at me with an incredibly puzzled look. "Katherine" she murmured as if she was trying to recall who that was. "Katherine!" She sat straight up. "Katherine took Elena…at least I think she did. She kind of threw me towards some trees."

"Thanks for the update. That I already knew. Do you have any new information? Like the kind of car? Or what direction they were headed?" I said sarcasticly.

She looked around in her crazy blondie way…"mmmm no, I don't know which way they went but it was a white car. An old one."

Rolling my eyes..."Ummm yeah okay…an old white car…that narrows it down Blondie." Sighing I turned around. Damn, I thought to myself, no leads, nothing. How do I find someone that can't be found? Lightbulb. Everyone needs a Bennett witch.

Okay, I sighed, this will go over well. I rapped on the door. Bonnie opened the door, glaring in her witchy way. "What Damon?"

"I need your help…" before I could finish, she started to slam the door in face. I thrust my foot in the door. "Bonnie, I need your help to find Elena. Katherine has her." She slowly opened the door.

"Damon, this better not be a trick." She glowered at me.

"Bonnie, it's not a trick. I promise…I'll be on my best behavior." I gave her my best quirky one eye smile.

"Okay fine. Come in." She turned and walked towards the living room. She grabbed a map off the table on her way. I need something that is connected to Elena. I handed her the shirt that was at my house. It burst into flames. Ooops I thought, hope she didn't need that. The fire only burned one location on the map. I picked it up.

"Thanks Bonnie. I owe you one." Using Vampire speed I left. Rupert, Georgia…where the hell? It's pretty bad when I have never heard of a town. It was just outside of Columbus, Georgia and very small so it should be pretty easy to narrow down where she is.

A few hours later, I arrived in what had to be the smallest town on the planet. I drove to the intersection on the map and saw a small shack off the road. I could see the city of Columbus in the background. I got out of the car, leaving it parked along the side of the road, deciding it would be better to walk. As I approached the shack, I was caught off guard by Katherine running out of the door. She was very intently running after something or someone and didn't even notice me. Well that's convenient. I watched for a few more minutes to make sure it wasn't a trap.

As I slowly approached the one room shack, I heard a muffled voice. I opened the door and peeked inside. I spotted a door on the other side of the living room, carefully opened it, and peered down into a very dark basement. All of the sudden, a loud groan floated up the stairs. I rushed downstairs, and in the darkness I spotted a figure hunched over, its arms shackled to a stone wall. Was it Elena? I ran to the wall. No! It was Stefan! I pulled the chain out of the wall. He was definitely vervained. Damn it. I decided to take him back to the car.

"Stefan! Where is Elena?" I whispered.

"Elenaaaa, corn, Katherine." He gargled.

Ohkay. I have no idea what that means. I picked him up by the arm and made my way up the stairs, checking around every corner on the way. We made it to the car with no interruptions. Somewhere off in the distance I heard a faint voice. I shut the door…"Elena".

I ran with vampire speed to the back of the cabin. Corn! Okay, that makes more sense I thought to myself. Great, I thought to myself, how am I supposed to find Elena in this? Then I heard it, a slight rustling in the corn stalks. It was very faint, but audible. I ran towards the sound. The sound was getting louder and louder. I cleared some stalks to see Katherine holding Elena by her neck.

"Katherine!" I yelled. I startled her, she was so intent on Elena that she didn't hear me coming. No easy feat startling Katherine Pierce. I grabbed her by the arm and threw her from Elena. She stood up, smiled her half crooked smile and took off towards the lights of Columbus.

I turned to look at Elena. She looked up at me. "Damon, I'm so sorry."

"Elena…shhhh…it's okay." I started before she could finish. "I'm just glad you are okay. " I picked her up and carried her towards the car.

We arrived back at the car, Stefan was still passed out in the back, weak from the vervain. He had been hopped up on human blood for months before Katherine got a hold of him, I smelled it on him when I found him. I opened the car door and gently placed Elena in the front seat. I could still smell her on my clothes as I walked around the car.

As we drove home down the long highway, the lines in the road blending into the night, I thought about the last century. I thought about how much I loved her. How much she used us both. Her coy little games of seduction. I thought about the pain of finding out that she was alive and avoiding me, piecing together all the bits of information that I put together over the years. Tracking her, trying to figure out the heartless abyss that is Katherine Pierce. It was no easy puzzle to put together. Then I thought about Elena, her only crime being somehow related to Katherine Pierce. She was unfortunate enough to drawn into Katherine's world of crazy. The hours passed slowly until I pulled in the driveway at the Boarding House.

Elena and Stefan both stirred as the car came to a stop. Once I put Elena on the couch, I went back to the car to get Stefan. I put Stefan in the cell in the basement to dry out. I looked at my brother lying on the cold floor. I shook my head and walked towards to the steps to the main floor.

Elena's POV

My head was pounding against my skull. Omg! My body hurt so much that I could hardly pull my head off the couch to look around. I was back at the Boarding House. Damon. Damon had rescued me from Katherine. Damon. My heart was so confused. My feelings were undeniable, and the more I found out the more I just wanted to be part of him.

He sauntered into the room. "Elena…I thought I heard you stirring."

"Damon." I just stopped. My feelings were overwhelming me. My voice was stuck in the bottom of my throat. I just couldn't formulate the words.

He walked towards me, looking me at very intently as if I was the only girl in the world. He gathered me in his arms and held me tightly to his chest. "Elena" he said so softly that it was almost a whisper.

I looked up at him, his blue eyes pulling my every thought into his soul. I tilted my head up, stood on my tip toes and kissed him passionately. We collided into a fury of ecstasy, both of us melting into each other as if we were going to consume each other. He grabbed the back of my head and pulled me even closer to him, our tongues sliding in and out of each other's mouths. I felt as if I was being transported to another dimension. I couldn't think straight. I didn't want to think at all.

I ripped at his shirt, the buttons popping off and flying everywhere. His hands were furiously caressing me all over and before I knew it my shirt was off. He leaned down and kissed my clavicle. His breath was hot against my skin. I could feel the excitement welling up in me. I tilted my head to the side and I could feel his mouth tracing the side of my neck, kissing and sucking as he made is way up and down neck and shoulders. I could feel his hand on the front of my bra, he yanked it with such force that it literally ripped from my body in two pieces. He held me against the wall with one hand as his mouth moved towards my breast and captured my nipple in his mouth. I let out a gasp. He started sucking on my nipple, gently biting in between. Then he pulled away and gazed into my eyes.

"Elena."

"Damon. Please don't tell me you want to stop. I want you Damon. I want you right now." I looked at him with unbridled lust in my eyes.

The sides of his mouth were drawn up in a crooked smile as he looked deeply into my eyes. "No Elena, I was going to ask you if you wanted to retire to a more comfortable room." With that he picked me up in one motion and headed towards the stairs, drawing me into a long kiss the entire way up the stairs. He put me down just inside the threshold of his massive room and started shedding what was left of his shirt, still kissing me in between.

I was tugging at my jeans to get them off. Trying to shimmy them down as I ran my hands over the entire length of his torso. I threw my head back in a moment of passion as he grabbed my breast with his left hand and squeezed. He backed me towards the bed. I could feel my knees give way as I fell backwards in a smooth motion. He landed on top of me, still kissing and caressing my body. His hands went down towards my legs and pushed them up towards my chest as his head floated down between my legs. I immediately felt a flush of embarrassment rise in my cheeks as his tongue found my center and started tasting my essence. It was almost too much. I was writhing and grinding against him. I could feel the heat in my body rising to a boiling point. His tongue was licking and sucking at my most sensitive areas. My clit was on fire and I felt like I just wanted to explode in his mouth. He was holding my legs apart and grinding against me. He started kissing his way up my stomach, pausing to suck each of my nipples until he reached my mouth. "Oh Elena. You have no idea what you do to me." He leaned up slightly and looked down on me. I could feel the entire weight of his body as he once again drew my mouth into him.

He held me tightly as he entered me. His cock was thick and hard. It slid along the inside of my body, pulsating with each thrust. I could feel the tension in his body as he continued to drive his cock into me over and over, all the while whispering about how much he wanted me. He drew back and put his hand on my throat. "Elena, do you feel that Elena? Do you feel how much I want you baby? "

I could hardly speak as I hoarsely responded "yes…I can feel it Damon." As his body became rigid, he grabbed a handful of hair and yanked my head back. The pain tore through my head as he held me there perfectly still. I dragged my nails down his back. I could feel myself giving into the feeling that was growing inside me. My entire body started pulsating with him as he grunted loudly as he released into me.

We lay there for a long while in complete silence, my arm draped over him. He exhaled and pulled me closer to him. "Elena," he said, "kiss me." I reached up and softly kissed him on the mouth. I looked into his eyes. "Now sleep. It's been a long day."

I closed my eyes, never feeling safer.


	6. Chapter 6 - The Transition

So this is my first multi-part story. Please review me. I have a direction for the story and it should go on for quite awhile. I do take long breaks sometimes. I'm still trying to figure out if short chapters work better or long chapters

**Chapter 6 – The Transition**

_These characters are based on 'The Vampire Diaries". I own none of the characters in this fan fiction._

_**Elena's POV**_

I woke up feeling the light, that in between state where you can see the light through your eyelids. I absently threw my hand to the right and felt nothing. No Damon. I kept my eyes closed for a few minutes longer enjoying the warmth of the sun pouring through the windows onto the massive bed. It was a soft light, filtered through the black walnut and white oak trees that littered the large property on which the Boarding House was situated. For a minute I almost forgot the last few days and what had transpired. My house burning, Katherine, Damon…Damon. I lingered for a minute thinking of the way he kissed me last night, the way we made love. I've never felt anything like it. He touched every part of my soul and body.

Everything I knew about this man had been challenged in the last weeks. In my head, I knew that I was already in love with him. It was undeniable. I was complete. I used to laugh at people that talked like that, romantic notions of love and soul mates. However, I found myself challenging my own beliefs when it came to Damon. Somewhere in the back of my mind I just knew. I just knew he was the one.

I slowly raised myself up in the bed and looked around blankly, threw the sheet back and draped my legs over the side of the bed. My feet hit the wooden floor and I stood up letting the blood flow through my body. I wandered through the bedroom door and then down the stairs until I found the kitchen. Damon was sitting on a stool at drinking a glass of scotch and reading a newspaper. I walked up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist from behind.

"Mmmmm good morning Elenaaaa, "the words sang from his lips. He turned around, his blue eyes shining bright. "And how did you sleep?" He smiled down at me with that devastating gorgeous smile of his.

"Too good," I responded. "It took me a minute to remember that I'm being chased by a homicidal vampire with an affinity for torture that happens to look exactly like me. But," I smiled back, "I'm happy and I can't stop thinking about last night."

He looked at me for a minute, something on the very tip of his tongue. However, I could see the thought get swallowed back as he opted not to say whatever it was that was on his mind. He flashed his smile, leaned down and kissed me softly. As he drew back he motioned to a stool beside him, in front of which sat a perfectly arranged plate of fruit, a poached egg and a glass of orange juice. As I straddled the stool, he asked "Coffee?"

I nodded lazily, feeling the last couple of days washing over my body along with a ravenous hunger. I began to dig into the fruit. It was sweet and cold. It seemed to rehydrate my body with every taste. Damon sat a steaming cup of coffee in front of me and we sat there, me eating and him chattering away about the news in Mystic Falls. It was a scene straight out of Norman Rockwell magazine cover. The world melted into the distance.

After an hour or so, Damon pulled himself up and went to take a shower. I decided to call my brother and Jenna. They must be racked with worry. The phone at the Lake House rang. Jenna picked up on the other end…"Hello." She said tentatively.

"Jenna, its Elena"

"Elena! Where have you been? We have been calling everywhere. The house burnt down Elena. I'm really sorry. I don't know what happened. I can't remember. "She sounded half angry and half worried.

"Jenna…I'm sorry" I stammered. "I got caught up and went to Caroline's. "I was so upset from the trauma that I ended up sleeping for almost 24 hours. I'm sorry I should have called."

"Well I'm glad you are okay." I could hear her voice start to relax.

"How is Jeremy?" I asked like it was any other day.

"He's fine; he's in the living room, playing a video game. Are you coming here? I think you should come here." She was not really asking.

"Jenna, I know this doesn't make sense, but I need to stay here for a little while. I promise I will explain everything when I see you. Just please don't worry. I will call more I promise."

"Elena, are you okay?" her voice kind of quivered like she knew there was more to the story.

"Yes, I'm fine." I said in the most confident voice I could muster.

"Okay." She finally relented. "Just call me every day and let me know that you are okay."

_**Damon's POV**_

I stepped out of the shower and listened. I could hear Elena on her phone with someone chatting away. Despite everything she seemed to be in a very relaxed state of mind which was a bonus. At least I didn't have to worry about her taking off again.

I dried off and pulled on a dark blue John Varvatos t-shirt and jeans. I pulled on my socks and motorcycle boots and walked out of the door to my bedroom. Just as I got to the foot of the stairs, I heard the doorbell. Elena peaked out of the kitchen. I motioned to her to get back out of sight.

Standing at the door was a rather tall man, at least 5'11" with light blue eyes and sandy blonde hair. He smiled at me. "Hello mate. I was wondering if I could have a minute of your time." His smile was beyond confident and he stared through me. Confident or cocky I considered as I looked at him.

"And you are?" I asked sarcastically.

"I'm Klaus Mikealson. I heard you are having a little problem with a mutual friend of ours Katherine Pierce or Katerina Petrova as I know her."

I raised my eyebrow. "And how does that pertain to you?"

"Look mate, be a gent and invite me in and I will tell you all about it." His voice trailed off as if there was much more to the story.

I moved aside backing up enough to let him pass.

He walked into the living room and sat down on the leather sofa turning to watch me as I approached the opposite side. "So Klaus, you are a friend of Katherine's?"

"Well, that is subjective. Katerina and I have been missing each other for about 500 years. " He arched his eyebrow as he talked. "Katerina was very special to me and then she betrayed me and ran away. I don't take kindly to people who betray me so I have been looking for her for a very long time. I was in Europe when I got word that Katerina was in Virginia spying on a certain brother of a slightly unhinged vampire. So, "he continued "I followed her here and here we are." He said as he raised his forearms up.

"And, so that affects me how?" I lowered my stare to meet his.

"Well Damon," he spoke slowly. "It affects you because Katerina is older than you and it would be difficult, say almost impossible for you to kill her. However, if we work together I'm willing to help you and then we both get what we want. It's very simple really. You get rid of your problem. I get Katerina. Everyone is happy."

As he finished his statement, Elena walked into the room. I looked up…shit. Klaus looked up; the shock in his eyes was easy to register. "Hello" he said in a very charming English accent. "I'm Klaus and you are?"

"She is…just getting ready to go upstairs." I finished before she could say anything. She looked at me confused, but I could see that somehow she understood not say her name. She excused herself and walked towards the staircase.

Klaus's eyes widened. "Well, well. That was unexpected." He smiled a half crooked smile. He studied me waiting for something.

"So let me get this straight. You want to just help us. Nothing in return. Why should I believe that? There's always a price. What do you want? Why are you here?" I stated as I looked at him with my jaw set as stern as possible.

"Well…" he said as he stared off at the staircase. "I didn't say I don't want anything. There is a stone in Katerina's possession that I want. It is of no monetary value; however it's important to me."

I narrowed my eyes in his direction. "And what does this stone do?"

"Nothing that is of consequence to you mate. Let's just say I need it." He fired back.

"Mmmm hmmm." I muttered.

"Well mate. I'm going to leave you now to ponder your situation." He rose from the sofa and looked at me with a brilliant smile and walked towards the door. I got up and followed him to the door and closed it as he departed.

Elena came bouncing down the stairs as soon as the door closed.

"Who was that?" she demanded.

"A problem" I said.

"Great" she grimaced. "Just what we need, another problem."

I smiled at her, my mind swirling around how to deal with the latest entry into our lives. Klaus, or Niklaus as I've heard him referred to as, was an original vampire. Original vampires are a problem. They are problem because they are lethal, ruthless and virtually unbeatable. Whatever angle Klaus was playing, it wasn't good, that was for sure.

I headed to the basement to check on Stefan. He was lying in a heap on the floor. The dirt from the floor covering him like a blanket. "Stefan…are you awake?" I talked through the barred window.

"Go away Damon" he coughed out.

"Stefan I have something for you." I tossed a vial of animal blood through the tiny barred window in the door. "Come on Stefan. You _know_ this is necessary."

"Go away Damon" he repeated and he dragged himself towards the vial.

"Okay" I rolled my eyes and walked away towards the stairs. As I reached the door, I could see Elena leaning against the wall waiting for me. I shook my head and headed down the hallway. Not really knowing what to say.

"Damon" she said impatiently. "I need to know what is going on. Who is that? What did he want? And why are you scared of him?"

I laughed. "I'm not scared of him."

"Who is it?" She demanded.

"Elena, look, all vampires are descendant from a single family of vampires called Originals. It's been largely legend…" I continued as I walked into the living room and poured a drink. "I have heard rumors of this family. The Mikealson's. They are rumored to be very powerful and virtually unbeatable. I think that guy," I motioned my eyes towards the door, "was Klaus Mikaelson. He's looking for Katherine, which happens to coincide perfectly with our need to kill her right now," he continued, "but given his very obvious interest in you, I'm not ready to rush into an alliance with an original vampire."

"But he could kill Katherine." Her voice trailed off as if trying to weigh the choice.

"Yes, Elena, he could." I drank down the whiskey and walked over to her. I put my hand underneath her chin and pulled her head up to look at me. "I need you to trust me and let me figure this out Elena. Can you do that?"

She nodded. I leaned down and kissed her beautiful mouth. "Thank you" I whispered as I drew her close to my chest and just held her there, suspended in the moment.

She withdrew and looked at me. "Okay, I'm going to take a bath." She smiled and turned towards the stairs.

What the hell was I going to do? While Klaus's offer was intriguing, I didn't trust him. He was hiding something. I needed help. I couldn't take on Katherine alone, let alone Klaus. However, I thought to myself, Klaus had mentioned that Katherine had been running for 500 years so with Klaus in town, Elena was safe from Katherine, but how safe was she from Klaus? His eyes lit up when Elena had walked into the room. And what was the stone Klaus was so interested in? The questions were piling up as I considered my position. Suddenly my phone rang. I looked down. Blondie?

"Yes blondie?"

"Damon!" Her voice was panicked. "Damon I don't know what to do!"

"Calm down. What is wrong?" I said in a slightly irritated tone.

"I woke up in the hospital. The sun is really bright. I'm really hungry. I don't know. Elena came to see me last night. Wait…" she continued on her panicked state. "Elena came to see me last night, and it doesn't make any sense, but she said to tell you ..game on. I don't know what that means Damon and I don't know what is going on. And she fed me her blood and then I don't remember anything…" She was practically in tears at this point.

"What?" I said into the phone. I rolled my eyes to a resting position on the ceiling. "Katherine!" I hissed. "Okay listen. I need you to stay put. Elena and I are going to come get you. Stay there! Do you understand?"

I took the steps two at a time. Elena was just drying off. "Elena, we have to go." I grabbed her jacket and threw it in her direction as she pulled on her jeans and a tshirt.

"What's wrong?" she asked in a trembling voice. She knew something was wrong.

"Elena." I walked over to her and gently grabbed her by the shoulders. "Listen to me. We have to go. We are going to see your best friend Caroline. She is okay, but we have to go now."

We got in the car and headed towards the hospital. I had no idea why Caroline was in the hospital to begin with. She must have checked in after the car accident.

"Elena, look I need to prepare you for this. I think, I'm not sure, but I think Katherine turned Caroline." Her face immediately looked panicked. "If that is true, we need to get her back to the Boarding House before she feeds on someone or worse dies."

Her eyes filled with tears as she listened to me explain the transition process for a vampire. When we pulled into the hospital, she was silent. I grabbed the blood bag on the car seat and put it inside my jacket. I reached over and grabbed her hand.

"Elena. It's going to be okay." I squeezed lightly and smiled a half hearted smile.

We headed through the sliding doors, checked in at the desk and headed up to Caroline's room. She was sitting on the bed in the dark. Elena ran through the door. "Caroline. Are you okay?" she hugged her tightly. Caroline backed away with urgency, her eyes narrowing.

"Whoa Blondie." I walked in and headed straight to Caroline. I looked at her eyes. Yep. Exactly as I thought, definitely transitioning. "Okay, so here is the situation, you are transitioning. It wasn't Elena who came to see you, it was Katherine. She fed you her blood and then she killed you. If you don't drink blood you are going to die." I pulled out the blood bag. "We need to get you out of here though before Katherine comes back or," I smirked "you kill the entire hospital staff. Your choice."

She looked too scared to speak. "Okay" She muttered as she put her hands out flat, moving up and down as if she was trying to calm herself down. "I need to get dressed." She got up, grabbed her clothes and walked towards the bathroom.

Elena just sat there watching the whole thing unfold.

Caroline exited the bathroom looking disheveled for Caroline and looked at us both. "Wellll." She looked at us impatiently.

Okay then. I headed towards the door, holding on to Elena's hand. Caroline followed us, keeping her head down the entire walk through the hospital. We climbed into my car and headed back to the Boarding House, all of us silent the entire way.

Caroline got out of the car and headed into the house without saying a word. Honestly it was the quietest I've ever heard her, or not heard her as the case was. Elena looked at me and half smiled. I could see in her eyes that she was upset. She looked like a lost little girl at that moment. My heart hurt. All I wanted to do was protect her from all of this. I put my arm around her as we walked in after Katherine.

Caroline was sitting on the couch lost in thought. I handed her the blood bag. "Yours to do with what you want Blondie. It's your choice." Elena and I quietly sat on the opposite couch. She looked at me and pulled the cap off. She swallowed the first mouthful slowly as if still contemplating whether to save her own life. Her eyes started to change and the veins popped out as her eyes turned blood red. The hunger hit her and she started gulping the bag down desperately. And that was that. Caroline Forbes was a vampire.


	7. Chapter 7 - The Heartbreak

**Chapter 7**

Thanks for everyone who has read. Please review if you like it or you have ideas. This fan fiction will go dark after the first ten chapters. This chapter begins the descent into darkness J. I'm taking a break for a few weeks from this story. I will pick it up once I finish 'The Dead of Winter'. I'm just really inspired by that story right now. This will be concluding soon though.

_I do not own the Vampire Diaries or series, nor any of the characters contained in this fan fiction. Any copyright infringement is not intended. Enjoy._

**The Heartbreak**

**_Damon's POV_**

Silently I stared at her. She was beautiful when she slept. Last night was rough for her. Caroline was a vampire now. Katherine was still on the run. Klaus was here. I couldn't help but wonder what effect this was all having on her. Stefan. I rolled my eyes. I had to go check on Stefan. I rolled out of bed and headed towards the cellar. I stopped at the freezer and picked up a vial of blood, human free. I laughed to myself as I realized Stephan was a Vegan Vampire.

I looked in the cell. Stefan was still lying on the floor. "Come on brother. When are you going to pull yourself out of this depression. It's just sad Stefan. Get up. Want to live your life and style your hero hair."

"Go away." His gargled voice echoed off the cell walls.

I shrugged, tossed the vial in the cell and left him to drown himself in his vampire miseries. That was the thing about Stefan. I loved my brother but he was definitely not himself when he wasn't brooding about something or other. His luck was kind of cruel. He had convinced me to be a vampire, but then he ended up being a ripper. It was a cruel twist of fate in my opinion.

On my way through the house, Caroline appeared in front of me expectantly. Vamp speed accomplished I noted. "Yes?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Damon, what am I supposed to do now?" she presented quite irritated.

"Blondie, you are supposed to go in the library, drink some blood…" I looked at her and added as an after-thought, "from bags. And not get into anything and not leave, because you will burn. Just be a good girl."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "I'm bored and I'm not five. Stop talking to me like I am."

"Blondie I don't know what to tell you. Boredom is a thing with vampires. Get used to it and learn to entertain yourself _without_ killing anyone. I have to go check on Elena. I'll be back in a little bit."

By the time I got back to the room, Elena was laying motionless on the bed staring at the ceiling. "Elena. Are you okay?"

She moved her eyes from the ceiling to watch me as I walked towards her.

"Damon. I don't know what to do. I just feel so out of control and I feel like everything is falling apart. I've lost everyone, or almost everyone in my family. Stefan lied to me about Katherine. I feel like I'm cursed and I'll never find anyone. " The tears started welling up in her eyes. "I just want a normal life. I know that people have been through more than I have, maybe minus the vampires, but I don't know what I did to deserve all this chaos and loss."

I crossed the room and slid onto the bed beside her, pulling her to my chest. "You didn't do anything Elena. I know you are strong and I know you have lost a lot. Sometimes life isn't fair and you just have to get up and face it and make your life what you want it to be. As far as the normal thing; I've seen normal and that doesn't make people happy either. Happiness is subjective and so is normal for that matter." She stared up into my eyes tears falling freely down her cheek. If I had a heart, it would have cracked right then. She looked so lost. I didn't know how to tell her she wasn't lost or that I was here for her. You can't convince someone of that. After 140 years, I know that. This is something she has to learn for herself. It is something that will come with time and unfortunately, I can't save her from it. I held her closely and drifted off into my own thoughts about consequences of bringing her into this.

My life is complicated, even without Katherine being a part of it. I've always felt the need to be in control. It is a compulsion that is almost as strong as the one to feed. For Stefan it was his emotions and blood. For me, it was control. There is no doubt that Elena is submissive, but I am not sure if she is healthy enough to be in this kind of relationship, not truly, in the way that I need. Losing yourself in this world is dark and it is just about as dangerous as dealing with vampires.

There isn't a passing minute that I don't consider that Elena would be happier without me or Stefan in her life. However, now that Katherine is in the picture; that is out of the question. I just need to figure out how to draw Katherine out and get rid of her. Trusting Klaus is not an option, however, neither is pissing him off. But maybe there is a way to enlist his help without fully trusting him.

I looked at Elena, "Caroline is downstairs and she's pretty bored."

"Oh," she sighed. "Yes I should go see her. Is she going to be okay Damon?"

"Yes, one way or another, control freak Caroline will be okay." I sighed and smiled simultaneously.

As we reached the living room, Caroline was pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace talking to herself. "What am I going to do? I can never go out in the sun again. I am a vampire. A VAMPIRE. I can't eat people and I can't tell my mom. Omg. My mom. What am I going to tell my mom?"

Enter the emotional part of becoming a vampire. I cleared my throat pretty loudly. She turned and looked at us, her eyes going dark. "Oh..Elena! Oh my god Elena." She ran, forgetting her speed and almost knocked Elena backwards with the force of her movement. "Oops" she smiled. Then she grabbed Elena hugging her a little too hard.

"Umm Caroline." Elena said as she was starting to wince.

"Oh right. Super strength. Sorry."

I rolled my eyes. "Ok. I have to go somewhere." Elena looked at me with a panicked look. "It will be okay. Blondie, drink blood bags so you don't kill your best friend and make sure nothing happens to her and she doesn't leave this house."

Caroline nodded as if trying to take in every piece of information that pertained to her _condition_.

I looked at Elena. "It will be fine. Please do me a favor and don't leave."

She nodded and plopped down on the couch.

I headed to my car and jumped in. In a few seconds I was headed down the road to the Grill. I was hoping to run into a certain Original Vampire or run into anyone that could answer some questions. I wasn't exactly sure what I was looking for.

As I entered through the wooden door, my eyes adjusted to the much dimmer interior of the bar. I spotted Bonnie playing pool with some kid from school. "Bonnie, do you have a minute," her ever pervasive glare penetrating every inch of my face. "What?" she said.

"Hey, so I just thought you'd want to know that Caroline is a vampire. I'll catch you up later. She's going bat shit crazy with boredom at my house right now because she can't go outside. So I would suggest you make her a daylight ring and fast, because she is annoying and I might kill her myself." She rolled her eyes.

"I don't know how to do that."

"Look through your little witch diaries and figure it out. Speaking of which, have you ever heard of a moonstone?" I added casually.

"A moonstone? No, I mean I read something in my grandmother's journal about it being part of a curse. But that is all I know." I nodded and as I turned around, none other than Klaus himself walked through the door. Perfect timing. Or not.

I looked at Bonnie. "Okay thanks."

Klaus sat down at the bar. I walked up behind him. "Yes." He questioned half turning to look at me. He motioned with his eyes to the stool next to him.

"So I thought about your offer, to work together. Here's the thing. I don't know where Katherine is, but I know how to find her. " We sat there for the next couple of hours quietly discussing the in's and out's of the plan. Klaus was nothing, if not thorough. He also, just may be a genius. He definitely knew Katherine, probably better than me.

I nodded at him, got up from the bar stool and headed towards the Boarding House. I knew what I had to do, but man was this going to be hard. I am not relishing doing it, but at the same time, I know it's the best way to protect Elena. Pictures of pain in her eyes were flashing in and out of my head. I shook it off as I pulled into the driveway.

Okay. Here it goes. Be convincing Damon, I said to myself.

As I walked through the door, I saw Caroline and Elena sitting in the library. There was a fire going and they were chatting away, and drinking. It was like everything was right with the world. Little did she know, it was all about to change.

Elena stood up and looked at me. "Damon…where have you been? I was worried."

"Caroline," I started, "Bonnie is trying to figure out how to make you a daylight ring. I saw her at the grill. Can you give us a few minutes?"

Elena glanced over at Caroline with a somewhat worried expression, then she looked back to me. Her eyes questioning what was about to happen.

"Elena," I started. My words were forming a lump in my throat. "I know that things have happened between us and there is a lot going on. I was swept away between wanting to fuck you and protect you. I'm too distracted and I need to concentrate on killing Katherine. I can't do that with you here. It's too complicated." As I looked at her, she started to fall apart in front of me; the rejection falling on her hard. It was as if the weight of the entire world came crashing down on her. "I need you to let me take you to the Lake House and I need you to stay there with Jeremy and Jenna. I don't want to be with you. I care about you. I just don't care about you the same way you care about me."

Elena's POV

I was looking at him, but I didn't know who he was. What was he saying to me? He didn't want me. The same guy who just hours ago professed his love to me, now was saying something that sounded like he was leaving me. My thoughts were so scattered. I felt light-headed when all my emotions started to come to the surface. I couldn't speak. I just looked at him, tears spilling down cheeks.

"What are you saying?" I croaked out.

"I'm saying that it's over Elena. I'm not sure it ever started, but if it did in your mind, it needs to be over. I need to take you to the Lake House so you'll be safe. I need you to come with me and not fight me. This is for the best Elena" He said it with so little emotion that it crushed me.

I didn't know what to say to him. I was so confused and caught off guard that it wasn't quite registering fully. "Okay." I said it back to him as callously as I could but it didn't work. I still sounded broken. I wanted to be strong right now. I hated him right now. He was a liar. How could he do this to me? How could he just push me away when I needed him. I felt betrayed but in a different way than Stefan. This time I felt horrible sting of rejection and abandonment.

I absently headed towards the car, opened the door and got in. He followed me out silently and got in the driver seat. Then we were off to the lake house. It would be good to see Jenna and Jeremy. I missed them both. Maybe I just needed to be alone anyways. I couldn't even think straight right now as we silently drove along the highway towards our destination.

All I could think was that he was the love of my life and before it even started, it was over. Cursing myself, I tried to tell myself that he was _not_ the love of my life. If he was, he wouldn't have deserted me when I needed him the most. In the back of my head though, there was this awful voice reminding that it was just something I was telling myself and that no matter what I tried to tell myself, you can't help who you love. I pushed my head back into the seat and stared at the roof of his car.

We didn't say a word on our way there. He got out as I did and said my name, "Elena". I just walked away towards the house, not looking back. I felt broken inside. Jeremy and Jenna had hugged me when I came in the door. I told them I was tired. They knew it was a lie.

I heard the car door shut and him drive away and then all the feelings that I had been keeping back, came out in the form of tears. I cried for hours into my pillow wishing that I never heard the name Damon Salvatore.


End file.
